


room for your love underneath this tree

by we_are_the_same



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Miracles, Christmas Presents, Cooking, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, Mentioned Jay Tomlinson, No Angst, No Smut, POV Louis Tomlinson, Pining, Popstar Harry Styles, Singer Harry Styles, Strangers to Lovers, Wordcount: 10.000-30.000, YouTube, YouTuber Louis Tomlinson, famous/famous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 06:35:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26967601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/we_are_the_same/pseuds/we_are_the_same
Summary: “IwannameetHarryStyles,” Daisy mumbles, and Louis blinks.“What?”“She says she wants to meet Harry Styles.” Phoebe pipes up, and Louis blinks again, absently switches the camera to himself because he knows that his followers will want to catch his baffled expression.“You-” he starts, and then stops himself, because hedidtell her she could ask for anything she wanted, and how can he go back on his word and tell her that he doesn’t actually have the power to make that happen?Because Harry Styles is -- he’s next level kind of famous. Louis has two million subscribers on his YouTube, but Harry has eighteen times as many followers on his Twitter alone. He’s had three number one hits in the last year, and his last album had charted at the top spot for a record breaking 27 weeks. He’s a singer, actor and philanthropist, and there is no way in hell that Louis can get him to come meet Daisy for Christmas.So of course he laughs, even if it’s a little bit breathless, and nods at her. “One Harry Styles for Christmas, coming right up.”
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 95
Kudos: 552
Collections: 1D Christmas Fest 2020





	room for your love underneath this tree

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thank you to the lovely [Chloe](https://chloehl10.tumblr.com/) for hosting this fest, and especially for letting me start earlier since I was supposed to have surgery in mid November. I had a blast writing this. 
> 
> Thank you to my writing GC's, to the wonderful [Emmu](https://londonfoginacup.tumblr.com/) and [Sarah](https://lightwoodsmagic.tumblr.com/) for being my friends, betas and muses.
> 
> I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas this year, and that 2021 might be better in every conceivable way.
> 
> To read the other fabulous fics in the fest, please [click here!](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/1dchristmasfest2020)

“And that’s all for tonight, I hope you have a wonderful day, don’t forget to hit that like button, subscribe, and turn on those little notifications so you never have to miss another video.” Louis watches his video self give a thumbs up to the camera, smiles as he saves the file and posts a notification to his YouTube community tab that a new video will be posted to his channel tonight at 6 pm. He then takes a selfie, adds it to his Instagram story with the same notification, before uploading the video and setting it to private. 

This is not the job he’d expected to have, when he was fresh out of college and didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life. YouTube had been just something fun, something to do on the weekends when he didn’t feel like hanging out with his mates. 

He’d never expected it to blow up. To be able to survive off of the money he made from his videos. Granted, he’s no James Charles or NikkieTutorials, but this is his full time job now. He’s a YouTuber. 

A _cooking_ YouTuber. 

Sure, Louis knows that half of the entertainment (if not all) comes from the fact that he’s _not_ a good cook, but it still baffles him sometimes, that there are so many people subscribed to him, watching his videos and even buying his merch.

Louis has _merch_. Some of his catchphrases had apparently really appealed to his followers, and after getting the same comments over and over he had finally given in, launched a line of shirts and hoodies that either read _it is what it is_ (something he said often, when presented with the final result of his cooking attempts), or _that’s unfortunate_. He’s been considering coming out with new merch, has been asked to do a line with the quote he tends to end his vlog videos with ( _live fast, have fun, be a bit mischievous_ ), and with Christmas only a few months away he thinks this might be a good time to look into it. 

He picks up his camera, checks his hair, before turning it on. “So I’ve just finished editing the most recent video for my channel, I think it’s a good one. I won’t go into too much detail, though by the time this vlog comes out you’ll have already seen it, and if you haven’t, what are you doing with your life? Watching me vlog about my day can’t be the highlight of yours, so please go and watch me make a fool of myself in that video. I’m about to head on over to my mum’s house for dinner, and after that I plan to get my siblings on camera and ask them about their Christmas wishes this year. Before you all get into it in the comments, yes, I’m aware it’s only September, but you can’t get in the Christmas spirit too early, is what I say. On that note, leave a comment down below with what your favorite Christmas traditions are.” He pauses, grins. “And leave your Christmas wish down below too, who knows, I might just pick one or two lucky followers whose dreams I might make come true!” He waggles his eyebrows, then turns the camera off without saying goodbye, making sure to grab an extra battery pack so he can continue vlogging through the day.

Because Louis doesn’t just have a cooking YouTube channel. He has a vlog channel too, since some of his followers wanted to know more about his personal life, but not every one of his subscribers was interested in anything beyond his cooking videos. So aside from TommoCooks there is also TommoVlogs, and while it doesn’t have nearly the amount of subscribers his main channel has, it still brings in some nice revenue.

Plus, it gives him a nice way to interact with his followers a bit more. Louis always tries to answer questions that people leave him, and sharing his day with them feels a bit like he’s talking to his friends. It’s a good way of thinking about it, because it makes him less unsure about what he’s doing, about whether or not anything he’s posting online is interesting to anyone but himself. The fact that he’s got almost 250k subscribers to his vlog channel should tell him enough about that, but he does still get self conscious at times. 

Because it’s still hard to believe sometimes, that he’s got a successful YouTube career, his main channel on the verge of surpassing 2 million subscribers. The fact that there’s _two million_ people watching him recreate dishes and cakes twice a week (videos go live on Monday and Friday) is honestly something Louis thinks he might never get used to. 

It’s part of why he loves to give back. Why he tries to do giveaways and shoutouts to other YouTubers, why he takes the time to interact with his followers and asks for the kinds of videos they want to see. They built his career, and Louis never wants to take that for granted.

*

The tiny twins are too young to be on camera, but the older twins, as well as the rest of his siblings, are allowed to appear in videos here and there. His mum just wants to watch the footage before he uploads it, which he thinks is more than fair, because as much as his followers like seeing him around his family, he never wants to do anything that puts them at risk.

Once he’s made sure that his main channel video is no longer set to private (and once he’s linked it in his Instagram stories, of course), he grabs his camera, herds his sisters into the living room, and sets up his equipment. “Alright, guys, I just had the most amazing dinner, courtesy of my mum, sadly the cooking gene wasn’t passed onto me, as you’ve been able to see in my most recent video ‘Trying out recipes written in foreign languages I don’t speak’, please let me know if you like that video and if you want me to do any more of them,” he’d loved the idea, one of his subscribers had come up with it and it had immediately made him laugh, even if the end result had been sort of disastrous. “And now I’m just hanging out with my family, say hi guys.” He turns the camera towards them, smiling when his siblings give the camera a little wave. Some of them are more sheepish, and others are more used to being in his vlogs, but he knows that they all feel special whenever he includes them, enjoy the attention it gets them. He’s careful about it, not wanting any of them to get wrapped up in it, in the fickle fame that YouTube could bring, and he tries to shelter them even more than his mum does at times. 

“So, I was wondering, what would you guys like for Christmas?” He asks, turning the camera back towards himself for a moment. “I’ve told you guys, I’m going to try to make some Christmas wishes come true this year, and I plan to do the same thing for my sisters.” He turns the camera back towards them, catches the glint in Lottie’s eyes and the distracted expression on Phoebe’s face - clearly already thinking of what to ask him. “I plan to go all out,” he informs them, grin on his face. “So whatever it is you want to ask for, nothing’s too crazy.”

Lottie clearly takes that as a challenge, because she grins back at him, that same grin that he sees on all of their faces from time to time. “I want a car,” she says, and the way she says it makes it sound like a challenge, like she expects Louis to back out, go back on his words. “A white one.” 

Louis keeps a neutral expression, holding back the smile that wants to appear on his face, because Lottie doesn’t think he’ll actually buy her a car, but he definitely will. His mum can’t afford one, and though he knows she doesn’t like it if he spends a ton of money on his family he also knows that she will let him spoil them occasionally. And they’d talked about his little plan beforehand, her giving him free reign to do as he pleases.

“Alright. A white car for Lots. Anyone else?”

Phoebe requests a new laptop, looking just as insecure as Lottie had, but Louis doesn’t flinch at her request, just nods, turning to Daisy, who looks a little sheepish. “What’s on your mind, little bug?” He asks, watching as she chews her lip in contemplation. “It’s alright. You can ask for whatever you want, yeah?” 

Daisy’s a little more introverted than her twin sister, which makes Louis want to spoil her that much more. So whatever she’ll ask of him, he’ll get it for her, his mind is made up.

“IwannameetHarryStyles,” she mumbles, and Louis blinks.

“What?”

“She says she wants to meet Harry Styles.” Phoebe pipes up, and Louis blinks again, absently switches the camera to himself because he knows that his followers will want to catch his baffled expression. 

“You-” he starts, and then stops himself, because he _did_ tell her she could ask for anything she wanted, and how can he go back on his word and tell her that he doesn’t actually have the power to make that happen?

Because Harry Styles is -- he’s next level kind of famous. Louis has two million subscribers on his YouTube, but Harry has eighteen times as many followers on his Twitter alone. He’s had three number one hits in the last year, and his last album had charted at the top spot for a record breaking 27 weeks. He’s a singer, actor and philanthropist, and there is no way in hell that Louis can get him to come meet Daisy for Christmas.

So of course he laughs, even if it’s a little bit breathless, and nods at her. “One Harry Styles for Christmas, coming right up.”

Fuck. 

*

His mother had side eyed him a little when he’d shown her the footage, but although her mouth had turned into that thin line that still sparked fear in him even in his mid twenties, she hadn’t said anything about his promise to get Daisy to meet her absolute favorite celebrity. Louis sort of wishes that she had, because it’d be so much easier to tell Daisy that he couldn’t because mum had forbidden him than it is to let her down. 

Once he’s home, he sits down, points the camera back at himself, and sighs. “Well, I’ve just royally forked myself there, haven’t I?” He curses on his vlog channel sometimes, but he tries not to when his siblings are in a video, wanting to set a good example for when they show the video to their friends. Ever since he’d watched The Good Place, he’d traded out curses for their PG related ones, and it’s sort of become an inside joke, even if Louis doesn’t really feel like laughing right now. 

“If any of my lovely subscribers has any idea on how I can make this wish come true, please leave your suggestion down in the comments,” he continues, dragging a hand through his hair. “And if by some absolute miracle, you get to see this, then I beg you, Harold, please don’t make a liar out of a well meaning brother.” He gives the camera his best puppy dog eyes, before grimacing. “Alright, well, this is the end of this vlog, I’m about to take a shower and we all know how YouTube feels about nudity. Can’t risk getting demonetized, not when I need to buy a car, a laptop, and bribe Harry Styles to come visit for Christmas.” He ticks off the items on his fingers, gives a more earnest smile then, before giving his usual wave to the camera. “As always, remember the motto, _live fast, have fun, be a bit mischievous_. This is TommoVlogs, signing off.” 

*

The Vlog video goes up on Wednesday, as it usually does, and Louis spends an hour after posting ‘my siblings want _WHAT_ for Christmas??’ responding to comments, both on his main video and the one he’s just posted. There’s a ton of excited comments on his main channel, requests to do specific languages that Louis jots down in his idea folder, and a bunch of comments on his vlog talking about how adorable he was with his family. He hearts most of them, responds to a few questions, and deletes one or two comments that are bordering on being creepy about his definitely underage siblings. YouTube comments can be a mixed bag, but for the most part, Louis is lucky. 

He’s about to sign off to get himself something to eat when a new comment appears, a _xxKayla_Gurl_15xx_ writing _‘I’ve sent this video to Harry on Twitter! We should all do it, then maybe he’ll see it and make Daisy’s wish come true!’_ She’s tagged Harry’s YouTube in the comment section too, and Louis doesn’t really think too much about it, just hearts the comment and logs off.

He returns to his computer an hour later, to over ten thousand new notifications on Twitter, and 1321 replies to _xxKayla_Gurl_15xx_ ’s original comment. Louis feels his stomach drop when the first reply is from the same account, saying _‘omg Louis liked my comment! I love you Louis!!! We will make this happen for you!!’_ and the replies underneath it are pretty much all variations of the same thing:

_I’ve shared it!!_

_I’ve tweeted Harry!!_

_This is such a great idea!! Shared and tagged him!!_

_Louis loves your idea, so I do too!! Let’s make this happen!!_

He holds his breath, fingers shaking as he tabs over to his Twitter, watches the numbers on his recent tweet rise and rise and rise as it is being shared by his followers. He scrolls through the replies, cursing under his breath when tweet after tweet is just the same thing.

@Harry_Styles @TommoCooks _#doitforLouis #meetDaisyTomlinson #TommoVlogs_

Louis does the only sensible thing. 

He logs the fuck off.

*

It doesn’t stop. Over the next couple of days the number of shares on his Twitter post only rises, and _#doitforLouis_ actually trends in the UK for a consecutive three days. His YouTube video makes it onto the trending videos page, and it’s easily the best performing video off of either of his channels. The amount of likes is astronomical, and Louis would love it (does sort of like the revenue that it gets him, because he’s nothing if not business minded) if the amount of times Harry was tagged in it didn’t also rise astronomically.

Literally. Every new comment that comes in is another person tagging Harry in it, and it gets to a point where Louis finds that he doesn’t even want to go on his laptop anymore, the sound of a new notification making him flinch. 

Enough is enough, he decides, a full week in, which he knows is long overdue. 

He hits record on the camera, sat in his study, fiddles with the ring lights for a moment before looking up at the camera. 

“Hi guys,” he says, and he can tell that his voice sounds quiet, sounds serious, and he can’t help but let out a sigh, rub at his face. “This past week’s been- I don’t even know how to put it into words. You’ve all shown what an incredibly active community you are, and knowing that you would go to such lengths to make my sister’s dream come true is amazing.” He swallows. “But.” He hates doing this. Hates that something that started out from a young girl’s earnest desire to help him out turned into a movement that’s not just bordering on harassment anymore. “I think we should stop tagging Harry in my video, stop tweeting at him. I truly appreciate that you’ve wanted to help, and I know that I kind of encouraged you to by liking that original comment, but I honestly didn’t know how viral this would go. If I’d known-” he sighs again, drags a hand through his hair. “This past week, I’ve been dreading going near my computer, or on my phone, and I’m not saying that because I want your sympathy, but I guess what I mean is, this has been so overwhelming, I can’t even imagine how it must be for Harry. I know that it comes from a place of love, and maybe he’s used to people spamming his account and I’m making a big deal out of it when it doesn’t have to be, but this has gotten to a point where it makes me uncomfortable, and I wouldn’t wish that feeling on anyone else.”

He attempts a smile for the camera. “I truly, _truly_ appreciate all the help you’ve given, and I know that you’re only doing this to help me out, but, I hope that you’ll watch this and realize that, at the end of the day, Harry didn’t ask for this. I’m the one who fucked up. I never should have liked that comment, I never should’ve made you guys feel like this was the right way to help me out. I know that I’m probably rambling here, but I hope that you get what I’m trying to say. I love and appreciate every single one of you, and I’m absolutely not mad, but I do hope that from here on out, you’ll stop tweeting or messaging Harry.”

“By the time this video goes live, I’ll have tweeted at Harry, apologized for what’s happening. I’m asking you to not send this video to him, not tag him in it. You can like the tweet, I’ll make sure to link it down below, but please, _please_ don’t harass him, because it’s not okay, and I am in the wrong for making it seem like it was.” He exhales a shaky breath, the tight feeling in his chest fading somewhat now that he knows that he’s at least attempting to make this right. “Please also don’t turn on the original commenter who came up with the idea, she was only trying to help. Kayla - I’m assuming that’s your name - I really appreciate that you’ve wanted to make my sister’s Christmas wish come true.” She’d truly only been trying to help, and he knows that his followers can be intense, doesn’t want them to unleash their frustration onto an innocent girl. Not when this is hardly her fault. Louis should’ve remembered that people will do a lot for a person they look up to, and even though he doesn’t always feel like he is someone that people look up to, he knows that being a bit of a public figure (he wouldn’t call himself a celebrity or famous, even though in some people’s eyes he definitely is) means that he should be cautious with what he shares with his followers.

He takes a deep breath. “This has definitely taught me a lesson, about the things that are and aren’t okay to do or encourage.” He knows that not everyone might see the problem in what’s been happening, and maybe Harry doesn’t either, but Louis would never want the thought of him, let alone his little sister, to leave a bad taste in Harry’s mouth. “Harry, I’m going to take a moment to speak to you now. I mean, this probably is never going to reach you, but on the small chance that it does- I’m sorry. I’m sorry that my followers spammed you over the past week, and I’m sorry it took me so long to speak up. I have no excuse for why I didn’t. I have reasons, sure, but none of them are an excuse and I won’t pretend that they are. I hope that this hasn’t been too much of a nuisance for you, and I really hope that this won’t make you biased against Daisy, because I think that if her favorite celebrity thought ill of her she’d be inconsolable, and she truly is the sweetest little girl in the world. I don’t know much about you, aside from what she tells me, but from what I hear, that’s not the kind of person you are; you seem to judge people based on what they do and how they treat others. I think your motto is something like _treat people kindly?_ ” He pauses. “ _Treat people with kindness._ That’s it. I totally did not just google that,” he gives a meek grin to the camera. “Anyway, I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry, I hope that you’re doing well, and I hope that you’ll forgive me.”

He feels a bit silly, unloading all of this onto camera, when Harry might not even be aware of the whole commotion. He probably has a social media manager, might barely be on Twitter or YouTube, and maybe this video is just going to draw attention to something that would’ve passed by unnoticed otherwise. But Louis still feels like it wouldn’t have been right to stay quiet, especially when it’s made him reluctant to even film for his main channel. 

(Luckily he’d had a few videos edited and ready to go, so he was still able to stick to his upload schedule)

“Alright guys, I guess this is the vlog for this week. I hope you’re all doing well, and that we can move on from this and have some fun in next week’s vlog.” He gives the camera a more genuine smile now. “You know what I’d usually say, but for this week, instead of being a bit mischievous, since we all know how that can come back to bite us in the ass, let’s go with young Mr. Styles’ motto. Treat people with kindness. This is TommoVlogs, signing off.”

He gives the camera his signature salute, before hitting the stop button, exporting the video file to his editing software, even though he knows he’ll probably not have to do much editing for it before he can post. 

He truly does feel a bit better though, but even so, his fingers are still shaking when he pulls up Twitter, ignores the mountain of notifications in favor of clicking through to Harry’s twitter. It takes him a few minutes to come up with something to say, but he finally manages to write out something that doesn’t just feel like a mindless, performative apology. He wishes he could DM him, but Harry’s DM’s aren’t open to people he doesn’t follow, which makes absolute sense. Louis clicks follow just in case, because his DM’s are set up the same way. 

_@Harry_Styles I owe you an apology. I’m not great with words, and even worse with written ones, but I’m truly sorry for the amount of times you’ve been tagged in my recent video. I’ve made a vlog about the situation, and told my followers to stop messaging you. Sorry x_

He considers uploading and linking the video before he tweets him, but that just feels like a cheap ploy to draw in more viewers, so instead he just presses send. 

He does, however, make sure to pin the video to his Twitter once it’s uploaded and published. Just in case.

*

Luckily his followers are nothing but nice to him, a few even apologizing in the comments, feeling upset that they’ve hurt him. He takes his time replying to them, reassuring them that he knows what they did came from a place of love, and when _xxKayla_Gurl_15xx_ replies to him on Twitter, clearly feeling very torn up about the whole thing, he makes sure to follow her and DM her, and sends her some of his merch. 

He carefully monitors his mentions, and the replies to his tweet, but only very few of them mention Harry, and even fewer actually tag him. The same goes for his YouTube video, and those comments that do tag Harry are swiftly removed. Even if it lowers the chances of actually being seen by Harry, he doesn’t want to repeat last week’s situation. 

*

It happens on Friday evening. A notification on Twitter, followed, two minutes later, by another one.

First, it’s _Harry_Styles has followed you on Twitter_

Then, _Harry_Styles has sent you a DM_

Louis is in his kitchen, filming the last of an upcoming video, and he’s a little bit annoyed at first, when he’s coming to a full stop in the middle of a sentence because the recipe on his phone screen just got covered by the notification - something he’ll have to edit out of the eventual video, which isn’t _that_ much of a hassle but it is when he’s tired and just wants to stop filming - but his heart rate kicks up a notch only a second later, when what he’s seen truly sinks in.

Harry Styles has sent him a DM.

Fuck.

He gives the camera an absent glance, then figures he might as well go for it, it’s not like his followers aren’t going to catch onto the fact that Harry’s followed him on Twitter, so there’s not really a point in hiding it. “Alright, sorry guys, I got a bit distracted there,” he admits, dragging a hand through his hair before realizing that it’s still covered in flour from today’s attempt at a four layer cake from a recipe that was written in Dutch, a language Louis does not speak and has no intention of ever learning. “We’re about to see whether or not the cake I’ve made is a: edible and b: remotely accurate based off of my limited understanding of Dutch _and_ baking. I’ll be honest, I’ve not got high hopes. But I’m sure that you’re all wondering why I got so distracted, and let me tell you-” he widens his eyes, absently thinks it might make for a good thumbnail, but discards that thought immediately. “Harry Styles has just followed me on Twitter. Now, I don’t know about you, but my heart just about sank into my arse, because after the week I’ve had, I’m not sure I can take a cease and desist from Harry Styles, but we will all just soldier on and see what happens.”

He’s not sure he’ll keep the footage in, but at least this way he’s addressed it, and it makes it a bit easier to move forward, to hopefully put it out of his mind for the next fifteen minutes. He can agonize over it during clean up, in the idle hope that that will make it go by faster. 

Louis adjusts his ring light for a moment, checks the camera to see if it’s still focused on the counter, before taking the cake out of the oven, prodding curiously at the top. “Alright.” He grimaces, pokes at it again, watching it wobble. “Now I don’t know about you guys, but, looking at this, mistakes have been made.” Despite the cake being in the oven longer than it should have been - even if Louis’ ability to decipher the recipe had been lacking, he was still fairly sure he should be able to read numbers - it still looks undercooked.

 _Very_ undercooked. 

“I’m going to leave this out for a couple minutes, maybe it’ll magically fix itself.” He grabs his phone, swipes away the notifications so he can get back to the recipe he’d been using. “In the meantime, I think it’s time that we translate this recipe, and see what I _should_ have been doing.”

*

It’s a good forty five minutes later that the kitchen has stopped resembling a disaster zone, and Louis feels tired, hungry, and in need of a shower. 

He also feels _really_ fucking curious, even though there’s a part of him that wants to make like an ostrich and hide his head in the sand until the problem goes away. 

Because he’s not sure that Harry Styles won’t be pissed at him. Either for getting his fans to harass him (however well intentioned), or for using his name to get some press (not that that’s what Louis is doing but still, everyone looked at things from their own perspective); Louis can’t be sure that he’s going to like the message that’s waiting for him in his DMs. 

It’s going to break Daisy’s heart, if her favorite celebrity turns out to be a jackass, so Louis is glad that there aren’t any cameras on him for once. 

He knows he should take a shower first, and the temptation to throw himself onto his bed and grab his phone is only drowned out by the knowledge that he’s still got flour in his hair and dough on his clothes, and he’s not looking forward to having to clean up his sheets the way he’d had to do with the kitchen.

So he takes a quick shower, washes his hair and throws a load of laundry in (despite what his YouTube videos might suggest, Louis Tomlinson is an _adult_ and he can do adult things. He’s very skilled, just not when it comes to cooking), before flopping down onto his bed with damp hair and some grey faded joggers on.

Just like it’d done when he’d first seen the notification, his breath stutters in his lungs when he sees the notification on Twitter, and he still feels reluctant to press to open it. 

_Hi!_

_So, today I was asked about you in an interview. I’m sorry to say I had no idea who you were (hope you’re not offended, it’s just that I don’t have a lot of time to myself these days), but the interviewer told me that your followers had been tweeting at me because of a vlog you posted, and that you ended up doing an apology video._

_First of all, I’m not on social media all that much (don’t tell my fans, I love them but social media would be a full time job and I already have one of those!) so I didn’t actually feel harassed, but second, from watching your video and seeing the original vlog, you seem like a really nice guy, and it’s lovely what you and your fans tried to do for your sister._

_Unfortunately, I’ve got previous commitments over the holidays, so I can’t exactly pop round to yours for tea, but I do find it incredibly sweet that your sister would consider meeting me a christmas present! Is there something else I could do to make up for not being able to come over? I could maybe send her some merch from my shop?_

_Let me know._

_\- H_

Louis smiles as he reaches the end of the DM. Adjusting himself so that he’s not flopped on the bed but actually sitting up, a pillow in his back and resting against the headboard, he takes a moment before composing a reply.

_Hello Harry Styles’ social media manager,_

_I truly appreciate that you’re getting back to me, I know your client must be extremely busy and I’ll be honest, I never really expected a reply. I do hope that you are speaking for your client when you’re saying that you aren’t upset, as I’m sure my sister would be heartbroken to hear that something she’d done had caused her favorite celebrity to be upset._

_I know I might be completely cheeky in asking, but would there be a possibility of Harry recording a little video for my sister? I think she’d appreciate that even more than the merch to be honest, to know that her favorite celebrity knows she exists._

_Thank you for taking the time to respond!_

_Louis_

He’s popped in a pizza - too tired to make himself something proper to eat - and has just finished the last slice while importing his new video and doing a bit of editing, replying to comments on his latest video (Louis isn’t great at multitasking but somehow that never seems to stop him from trying) when his phone chimes, signaling another message.

Another DM from Harry.

Well, Harry Styles’ social media manager, his brain amends. There’s no way Harry would spend his time on Twitter, not when he’s one of the busiest people in the world. 

_Hello Louis Tomlinson’s social media manager ;)_

_It was actually me, this afternoon. Evening? I’m pretty sure it’s evening where you are. Anyway. I could’ve let my SMM handle the DM, but I had a bit of time to spare while I’m on a flight, and your video has been a nice way to stave off boredom. Figured the least I could do to thank you for that is actually write a DM myself :)_

_I can definitely record a video for her, and if you’d give me her address I’ll also make sure to send over some gifts for her for Christmas. Do you have any other siblings that would like a gift - I’d hate for anyone to feel left out!_

_Send me your email and I’ll send you a video asap._

_\- H_

Louis smiles. He’s still not convinced that this is actually Harry, but if it is, he’s being really sweet. Offering to send merch for not just Daisy but also his other siblings (which he might regret once Louis reveals just how many of them there are) as well as taking the time to record a personalized video message - Harry truly seems like a genuinely nice person. His sister has definitely made a wise choice in deciding who to be a fan of. She’s going to absolutely love her Christmas present.

He just has to be able to keep it a secret for the next three months.

*

His fans, alongside his sisters, had of course gone mental the moment they’d realized Harry had followed him, but Louis has been able to keep from spilling the beans, keeping the whole ordeal a secret from followers and family. Or, well, he’d been able to keep the secret from his _siblings_. His mum was a different matter, but then, she’d sort of had to know so she could intercept the package that Harry had sent over in early December. 

He’s feeling very chuffed with himself for being able to keep from slipping up and ruining the surprise all the way up to his birthday, even when it’s made hard in the weeks leading up to Christmas when Harry starts being a trending topic in the Tomlinson household. Barely a day goes by that Daisy doesn’t mention him, though Louis guesses it’s mostly because of the new single that’s out, and the show that Harry’s playing on Christmas Day in LA; the one that was announced mid October, but that Louis had known about since the day Harry had DMed him. Once the news dropped, Louis had expected Daisy to be a bit upset, but she hadn’t said a word, and Louis suspects that she probably never expected him to try and make good on his promise to deliver her Harry Styles for Christmas. It’d been a long shot, they’d all known it, and though he thinks Daisy probably expects something to do with Harry (she’d not exactly been subtle in hinting at wanting specific merch), he doubts she’ll actually expect the video that’s been sitting on his laptop for weeks now.

The same goes for most of his siblings, in fact. Even if their presents had been a lot more manageable to procure, it becomes clear, once they start opening up presents, that none of them had really expected him to go all out and buy them exactly what they’d requested. Even if perhaps the camera set up in the room should be a dead giveaway, but then they’re used to him filming little bits and pieces of their day for his vlogs. Phoebe is ecstatic about her new laptop, and when Louis hands Lottie a small gift box that reveals a set of car keys the shriek she lets out is loud enough to make him wince. 

He barely has the time to brace himself before she about flattens him against the couch when she flings herself at him, all slender limbs and blonde hair as she hugs him. He laughs, hugging her back, only barely able to stop her from immediately going out to find her car, by giving her a conspiratorial wink. “We’re not through with presents yet,” she arches an eyebrow at him, but sits down as he turns towards Daisy. “Dais, remember what you asked me for Christmas?”

Daisy glances up at him, disbelief clear on her face as she nods, and Louis almost wants to tell her to not get her hopes up, but he knows that she’s going to love getting a personal video from Harry, even if she doesn’t get to properly meet him. “Well, you know that Harry followed me on Twitter a little bit after the video came out,” he hadn’t talked to him since, hadn’t wanted to take advantage of the fact that he was now Twitter mutuals with someone famous, though he had of course sent him a DM thanking him for the video once Harry had sent it over, and another after they’d received the merch he’d sent. Both messages had been read but never replied to, but Louis doesn’t mind. Harry’s busy, and this is the most that he could ask for. It’s far more than he would’ve asked for, even.

“Yeah.” Daisy’s eyes are huge, and Louis bites down a smile.

“Well, he couldn’t come over, since, you know, he has a show tomorrow. But-” he reaches for the package that his mum’s put just behind the couch. “He sent over some things. _And_ -” he takes his laptop, where the message is already queued up, just waiting to be played. “He took the time to record you a message.” 

Daisy seems stunned, unsure whether to reach for the merch or the laptop first, and Louis shifts to sit next to her, pressing his lips to her temple before putting the laptop on her lap, his other siblings crowding behind the couch to watch along. “Happy Christmas Dais.”

 _“Happy Christmas Daisy!”_ Harry Styles says on camera, and Daisy makes this aborted little noise that Louis takes to mean _oh my God Harry Styles just said my name_ and possibly makes him Daisy’s favorite sibling for a good long time. She has her hand in front of her mouth, her eyes still huge as she listens to Harry’s message. It’s short, but sweet, and he even apologizes for not being able to make an appearance at their Christmas party. _“I hope you like this present,”_ Harry says, and Louis watches him grin. _“If you ask me, you’re pretty lucky to have a brother like Lou.”_

Something about the way he says that, about the way that he uses a nickname for him when they’ve never even spoken to one another - save for some awkwardly worded DM’s that Louis still isn’t sure were actually typed by Harry - sort of flusters Louis for a moment, but thankfully it’s lost in tears and hugs and excited whisper-yells by his siblings.

It’s loud and perfect and Louis feels warm and content, so grateful for his followers who allow him to spoil his family like this. Who give him the chance to make a young girl’s dream come true, even if it’s not exactly what she’d asked for. But at least she’ll have a lasting memory, the knowledge that Harry Styles knows who she is and video evidence that she’ll treasure for a long time to come. 

In the chaos that follows when his siblings are tearing through Harry’s gifts for each of them, he almost misses the doorbell, and it’s not until the family dog starts barking that he realizes someone must be at the door. 

Daisy looks up though, her eyes wide again, and Phoebe gives an excited yell. “Louis!” 

Louis shakes his head, laughs. “There’s limits to what I can do. Sorry to disappoint, love, but there’s no way that Harry’s at the door.” 

He’s not sure who it might be though, because there’s a snow storm outside, and he’s pretty sure that most people are celebrating Christmas Eve at home, but he assumes it will be Stan, or some other friend, taking time away from their celebrations to come round for a beer on Louis’ birthday. 

He’s fully expecting grins and congratulations, when he goes to open the door, mentally braces himself for hugs and the cold wind that will inevitably sneak under his soft Christmas jumper in the short time between opening and closing the door. 

But apparently he’s due a Christmas miracle, because instead of Stan or Oli or Luke, he actually finds Harry Styles on his doorstep.

*

He blinks. 

Blinks again.

Watches the boy on his doorstep shift his weight from one foot to the other. Watches him as he cocks his head, some of his curls getting smushed between the black beanie on his head and the red scarf tucked around his throat. “Hi.” He says, and Louis still can only gape at him. 

“Holy shit, you’re Harry Styles.” is what he says, and he immediately regrets it, because he’s not supposed to curse at home and he’s supposed to be more chill than this. 

Harry wrinkles his nose, but he also seems to smile, so Louis figures that it’s a reaction he’s used to hearing. “I am,” he confirms. “I uh, I hope I’m not interrupting anything?” He fidgets with his gloves, and Louis watches, mesmerized, as his breath comes out in little puffs. 

Fuck. It’s cold. Harry’s cold, despite being wrapped up in a thick pea coat. Louis should invite him in. Shouldn’t he? Is it weird to invite him in? 

“Lou?” His mum calls, and Louis nearly flinches, a part of him feeling the inexplicable urge to close the door behind him so that he has a moment to figure out what’s going on, without his sisters rushing in and overwhelming Harry. Especially since Louis is feeling a little overwhelmed himself at the moment. 

“I am, aren’t I?” Harry must read something on his face, or into the fact that he hasn’t said anything, because he rocks on his heels and looks as though he’s about to take a step back. “I’m so sorry. I know that you weren’t expecting me, and honestly, I wasn’t really planning on coming by in the first place, but, my flight got canceled and I’m not going to be able to make it to LA in time for the show, so my manager told me I should just go home and celebrate Christmas, but my mum’s not going to be home until tomorrow, and I-” he falters, does this gentle gesture with his hand that for some reason breaks Louis’ heart a little. 

“You didn’t want to be alone on Christmas Eve?” Louis hazards a guess, and Harry does a great job at resembling the colour of his scarf.

“It’s stupid. You don’t even know me. But I was in my apartment, and I haven’t bothered to decorate for Christmas because I wasn’t expecting to be here, and I started thinking about how I used to always be so excited for the holidays, and then I started thinking about your sister, and I still had your address, and I sort of didn’t really think it through before I got in the car and came up here.” Harry explains quietly, and Louis’ heart _hurts_.

“Come in,” he says, and it’s clear by the look on Harry’s face that he didn’t expect it, and honestly, Louis hasn’t really thought it through, but, he can’t just send Harry back home. “I hope you know what you’re in for, though,” he says softly. “My sisters - they’re going to die. I - are you sure that you want to spend your night being Harry Styles, pop star? Because if you’re looking for just a nice, casual place to hang out - they adore you. It’s going to be hard not to be starstruck.”

Harry gives him a small smile. “You seem to be doing ok.” He points out, and Louis chuckles.

“You’re flattering yourself. I’m not a fan.” He says, and as he says it he realizes just how rude it could come across. Even if his tone is clearly teasing. But Harry just arches an eyebrow, and Louis feels a rush of warmth as he watches his mouth twitch. 

“Are you setting a challenge, Lou?”

Louis grins. “Maybe. What are you going to do about it, Harold?”

Something about this just feels easy. Easy enough that Louis is hardly aware of the cold nipping at his nose, or the snow that’s slowly nestling itself into Harry’s hair. He’s hardly aware of anything except for the way that Harry’s grinning at him. “Why, I’m going to make you fall in love with me, of course.”

Louis knows that he doesn’t mean it the way that it sounds, that Harry’s just teasing him back, is going to attempt to convert him into a fan, not _actually_ make Louis fall in love with him, but he can’t help the way his heart flutters for a moment. Not that he’s going to admit to that, of course. He’s a Tomlinson. He always has to have the last word. “Well, I’m looking forward to it.”

*

It’s a _lot_. Having Harry Styles here for Christmas Eve. 

Because _of course_ his sisters flipping lose it. Even when his mum tries her hardest to keep her kids in check, it’s not every day a massive celebrity decides to just come over to their house. Dais is practically vibrating out of her seat, and Phoebe and Lottie alternate between looking starstruck and asking Harry about every celebrity he’s ever been linked to or seen with. 

His mum made them all put away their phones, and it’s clear that Harry’s grateful. Him visiting is probably not something he wants posted on the internet, and as much as Louis knows that it would be great footage for his channel, he’d packed away his camera the moment he’d brought Harry into the living room. 

It’s about half an hour into Harry’s visit that things finally calm down a little, that his sisters seem to realize that aside from being a world famous celebrity, Harry Styles is also just a boy, not some glittery alien from planet Hollywood. It’s Lottie, who finally seems to remember that although presents had been exchanged, it isn’t just Christmas Eve.

It’s also Louis’ birthday.

Harry’s eyes widen when Lottie says that, and he shoots Louis a panicked look as though he could have known this somehow and as though he should’ve brought a present. Louis just winks at him, because Harry’s on the couch on the other side of the room, and as much as Louis would love to tell him that getting to look at him is present enough, he doesn’t want his siblings to overhear his terrible attempts at flirting.

Or, making a joke. Because there’s no universe in which he’d flirt with Harry Styles.

Well. 

He’d absolutely flirt with him in any universe, if he’s honest. He’d just not expect to get very far. 

And in this situation, when Harry’s in his home and he’s only _just_ gotten comfortable, Louis doesn’t want to rock the boat too much and weird him out. 

Besides. He doesn’t even know if Harry is gay. Or bi. Or any of the other sexualities that would imply that he could possibly be interested in having Louis hit on him. Sure, he’s seen him linked to both men and women in the media, but Louis knows enough about the media (thanks to his college degree) to know that Harry has probably not even met half of the people he’s been linked to. Or at least, not been around them for longer than the time it took to take a photograph. And his flamboyant stage outfits and fashion sense didn’t mean that he was part of the LGBT+ community either, it just meant that he knew how to portray the rockstar image, or was very comfortable with himself.

So a wink will have to do, and Harry sends him a smile that honestly makes Louis feel like he’s fifteen again, and he’s not sure if it’s because he’s intimidated by Harry’s fame or if he’s just incredibly aware of how good looking Harry is. 

*

It’s hard to get Phoebe and Daisy to go to bed, because everyone’s incredibly aware of how Harry will probably never come around again, no matter how comfortable the evening had ended up being. Comfortable enough that it’s now past ten, and his sisters should have been in bed over an hour ago, and Harry’s made no move to leave.

Well, that’s not entirely true. Once Louis had been given his birthday gifts, and they’d had cake and hot chocolate, once Louis had thrown himself onto the couch that Harry was sat on, Harry had leaned into him for a moment and whispered “I don’t want to overstay my welcome, should I-” and Louis had just given him a _look_ and that had been that. 

They’d put on a Christmas movie, had too much food, and Louis is half in a sugar coma, which is entirely to blame for the way that his shoulder is pressed up against Harry’s and he’s sort of half leaned against him. He’s assuming that the same goes for Harry, because he doesn’t seem to be too worried about personal space either. He just seems comfortable, and completely at home. 

It’s a bit jarring, therefore, when his sisters have to go to bed and Louis suddenly realizes that for as comfortable and at home as Harry seems, he _isn’t_ at home, and he’s probably going to leave soon, and Louis won’t have another chance to talk to him again unless Harry’s on social media and reading his DM’s. Which he’d said he barely ever did. 

“Tell Harry thank you,” Jay says softly, and the twins echo their thank you’s with soft, solemn looks, and Harry gives them both a big cuddle, promises them tickets for his next tour. They seem a bit happier at the prospect of seeing him again, and Louis wonders if they realize that it won’t be at all like it had been tonight. Harry on stage won't just be different, he'll be unattainable.

Lots ends up choosing her phone over hanging out with Harry - only after making a solemn promise to their mum not to tweet, snapchat, or post _anything_ about tonight on the internet - and suddenly the room is quiet and it’s just Louis, on the couch, and Harry, who is still standing after having given the twins both a big hug. 

“I should-” he says, and Louis’ heart aches. 

He should. Harry really should, because the snow’s not letting up, and if he stays any longer it’s probably going to be unsafe to drive. Hell, it’s probably unsafe to drive now, but that’s not really the reason Louis is so reluctant to bring this evening to an end. 

“You can’t go yet,” he says, and he’s not sure what he’s going to follow that up with, but thankfully his lack of a brain to mouth filter works in his favor too sometimes. “You haven’t made me fall in love with you yet. You can’t just promise a man that and not deliver, Styles, that’s rude. And you can’t be rude to me on my birthday, I’m pretty sure that’s against the law.”

Harry lets out this wonderfully loud, honking laugh, that sort of reminds Louis of a duck, and his eyes twinkle, and they’re green just like the Christmas tree and the mistletoe hanging above the doorway, and Louis might be lying just a little bit. “Forgive me,” Harry says, and he says it so formally, as though he’s about to bow and address Louis as His Majesty, and Louis honestly isn’t sure how the entire world isn’t in love with Harry Styles.

But that’s the problem. The entire world _is_ , and they don’t even get to see half of what Louis has seen tonight. And he isn’t Louis’ to keep. This little magical moment wasn’t meant to stretch beyond an evening, but Louis isn’t ready to let it become memory just yet.

Harry doesn’t seem like he is either though, because instead of leaving he sits back down, and Louis is pretty sure that it’s not because of what he’s said about his birthday. Even if they’re both willing to pretend that it is.

*

It’s late, and Louis’ eyes have been drooping for the past half hour, and Harry is in a similar state, but it’s not midnight yet, and Louis doesn’t want to let the last of his birthday go to waste. Tomorrow will be Christmas, and Harry staying would be a true Christmas miracle, but he wants to at least be able to lay claim to the last few minutes of his birthday.

The clock ticks on, ever unforgiving, and at some point, Louis’ worry over Harry’s safety wins out on his selfish desire to keep him around for a little while longer.

“Hey.” He murmurs, giving Harry’s shoulder a gentle nudge. “Do you want coffee?”

Harry barely opens one eye, and Louis suppresses a smile. “Coffee?” He echoes, and he sounds so sleepy that Louis just wants to take him upstairs and tuck him into bed. Maybe snuggle into the same bed too, but there are no false pretenses, just the desire to stay close to someone he might never see again after today. 

He’ll be everywhere, sure, but not like this. 

“I don’t want you to crash your car on the way home,” he says softly, and a frown slowly creeps onto Harry’s face as he forces himself to sit up a bit more. “I mean, you could stay here, if you want, and wait for the snow to stop?” He’s trying his hardest not to let on how much he’d like that. Because it is ridiculous to offer. But then, Harry being here is ridiculous in the first place.

Harry rubs at his face, then gives Louis a sheepish look. “I figured I’d get a hotel somewhere up here. My mum’s in Holmes Chapel, so, driving back down to London isn’t really the most logical thing to do.” He looks at the clock, then winces. “But I don’t know if there’s any hotel around here that would take me at this hour.”

Louis snorts. “Let’s not make a Mary out of you, yeah?” Harry looks confused for a moment, adorably so, and Louis shrugs. “I mean. You can’t deny the similarities. Trying to find shelter on the eve of Christmas, finding no room in the Inn.” He grins. “I might be able to find some hay for you in a barn somewhere,” he teases, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at himself for being such an awkward mess of a person in front of Harry. 

But Harry just smiles, slow and sweet and freaking perfect, and Louis’ heart aches. “Are you sure?”

“You came all the way over here for Christmas,” Louis says softly. “The least I could do is let you stay.”

*

Jay is fine with Harry staying, not that Louis had expected anything else, and Louis brings up extra blankets and a mattress to his room, figuring it’s better that Harry stays here than on the couch where his siblings would encounter him in the morning. They set an alarm just in case, for six in the morning, so that Harry can sneak out while the house is still asleep, and Louis wants to make Harry promise him to wake him up, but he bites his tongue and just wishes Harry a good night instead.

Not that he sleeps. He’s too wired to sleep, and there’s something comforting about listening to the sound of Harry’s slow, deep breaths. It also makes him ache inside, for an alternate universe in which this is his to keep. In which Harry is just his boyfriend, coming over for Christmas to meet the family. 

He knows it’s ridiculous. He knows he doesn’t know him. But it’s been so easy to forget that every time he’s looked into his eyes.

He punches his pillow, tries to make himself comfortable and wills his head to go quiet, when he hears a soft exhale, and then: “Lou?”

Louis curls his fingers into the blanket. “Yeah?” 

It’s quiet for a moment, like Harry hadn’t expected him to still be awake and hadn’t actually planned anything beyond softly whispering his name. “I’m sorry I didn’t bring you a birthday present.”

It’s so sweet and so unexpected that Louis barks out a laugh, then covers his hand with his mouth, trying to stifle the resulting nervous giggles. “That’s alright,” he manages after a moment. “Honestly, getting to see my sisters be so happy is enough of a present for me.”

“Still.” 

Louis smiles into the darkness. Finds that this time, with no one else around, he _can_ say what he’d thought earlier. “Well. Getting to look at you was a pretty good gift too.”

This time Harry is the one to let out a laugh, honking and far too loud for the late hour, and Louis lazily reaches for a pillow and throws it in Harry’s general direction. It must hit his face, because there’s a confused sound, and Louis stifles a laugh, brings his hands up to cover his face in case Harry has any plans of retaliating.

But instead there’s only silence. Silence that stretches on long enough that Louis almost panics, worries that he’s crossed a line.

He’s about to speak up, apologize, when the mattress dips next to him, and Louis can feel the warmth of Harry’s body when he slides in next to him. “I should get back at you for that,” Harry murmurs, and he’s so close that Louis’ eyelashes flutter and he bites his lip to keep from making a sound. “But I wouldn’t want to wake up the entire house with a pillow fight.” His fingers ghost over Louis’ side, light enough that it almost seems as though Harry’s trying to tickle him, but soft and loaded enough that Louis knows that he isn’t. 

It’s torture to stay still, motionless underneath his touch, when part of him is desperate to turn this into something lighthearted and the other part of him wants nothing more than whatever could come next. He holds his breath, intoxicated by how close Harry is, how _bold_ he is, such a change from the sweet, somewhat shy boy that he’s spent all evening with. But there’s a hint of him still there, in the way that he pauses. “Is this alright?” 

Louis wants to tell him no as much as he wants to tell him yes. Wants to warn him that he shouldn’t go too far in the challenge to make him fall in love with him, because he might end up breaking his heart instead.

“Yeah,” he whispers instead. “‘s ok.” And then, because vulnerability has never come easy to him, and it’s only marginally easier in the dark, he adds a teasing “just don’t hog the blankets, or I’ll throw you out on the floor.” 

Harry laughs, soft and intimate and near, and his lips brush over the shell of Louis’ ear. “I’d like to see you try.” He follows it up with the most delicate little kiss, just underneath Louis’ earlobe, and Louis finds that he really can’t be bothered taking the bait. 

“Just shut up and cuddle me.”

So Harry does.

*

When Louis wakes up, it’s eight thirteen in the morning. His childhood bed, which had seemed so small with Harry pressed against him, feels huge and cold and empty, even with blankets keeping in the heat of his body. 

He sits up, fighting the sinking feeling in his heart, and can’t help but smile a sad, sort of resigned smile at seeing the blankets neatly folded on the mattress on the floor. The pillow is placed delicately on top, and the fact that Harry took the time to carefully fold up and tidy the bed he hadn’t slept in makes Louis feel a certain type of way.

Had that meant Harry wanted to linger? Had he wanted Louis to wake up? 

He wants to just curl up, pull the blanket over his head, and ignore the day, but he can’t do that, because it’s Christmas and his family is going to expect him to appear at breakfast, and his siblings don’t know that Harry stayed and that all Louis wants to do is inhale his scent for as long as it’s still embedded in the blankets on Louis’ bed. 

So he shifts, reaches for his phone on his bedside table, nearly pushing the neatly folded piece of paper off his nightstand as he does so.

He catches onto it just in time, and takes hold of it, trembling fingers trying to be delicate.

_Dear Lou,_

_Thank you for the most wonderful evening. I wasn’t sure what I could expect, coming to your house, but the way you’ve all invited me in and made me feel at home was more than anything I could have asked for. It’s been a long time since I’ve met people that didn’t make me feel like Harry Styles™, but you and your family made it seem so easy._

_I wondered if I should wake you this morning, but after sharing a bed with you last night, I didn’t want to risk waking you up only to find that you regretted what might have been the best Christmas present I’ve ever had._

_I know you said that getting to look at me was enough of a birthday present, but if you want it, here’s a Christmas present for you._

_Call me._

_Love, Harry_

Louis bites his lip to hide a smile. Grabs his phone, saves down the number, checking it twice to make sure that he’s not made any mistakes.

He opens up a new Whatsapp message then, and lets his fingers fly over the keyboard on his screen, not thinking twice.

_Bit full of yourself aren’t you, thinking that giving me your number is a Christmas present? ;) Is that the most I can expect when dating a popstar? I thought it came with more perks, tbh._

He hopes that Harry will understand his sense of humor, that he won’t be put off. But he thinks he will. He thinks Harry is the one person who will understand exactly what he means.

 _Who said anything about dating?_ Harry texts back, and Louis makes an indignant face at his phone, but another message comes in just as he’s starting to reply. _Hi ♥_

It’s so sweet and corny, and Louis is _beaming_ at his phone. _Well, you better date me. You promised to make me fall in love with you. It’s only fair._ He sends.

Harry’s replies are quick, and Louis wonders if he’s stopped his car somewhere or if he’s already arrived at his mum’s place. He wonders if he’ll get to meet her, someday. Maybe next Christmas. _I suppose it is. How am I doing so far? Making any progress?_

Louis bites down on his lip to hide a smile. _Stick around and I’ll let you know._

***

“Hi guys. This video is going to be a special one for you tonight. I’ve had a lot of fun planning it out, and I hope you’ll enjoy watching it. I know you’ve all been speculating, and some of you have caught on to the fact that I’m seeing someone. We’ve been keeping it private, but yes, I’ve been seeing someone for the past year now. We’re actually almost coming up on our first anniversary this month.” Louis beams at the camera, showing the setup in the kitchen, the His & His aprons that are on the counter. “I know you’ve been dying to meet him, and I’ve been thinking about the best way to do that.” He attaches his camera onto the tripod, making sure it’s zoomed out enough to show the entire kitchen, even if he’s currently the only one in view.

“So here is tonight’s video: _my boyfriend teaches me how to cook_.” He swallows down nerves, watches Harry walk into frame at Louis’ words, wearing a similar beaming smile to Louis’ even if his is a little more bashful. “I don’t think he needs an introduction, really, but for those of you who inexplicably have no idea who this is, this is my boyfriend, Harry.” Louis takes his hand when Harry reaches him, gives his fingers a soft squeeze, the island in the middle of his kitchen hiding it from view. 

They’ve kept their relationship private, at first because they were trying to figure out whether or not the attraction they felt towards one another was enough, and later because they were both in the public eye, and especially Harry liked to keep some parts of his life to himself. While they’re comfortable enough with their relationship to be at a point where they want to share some of it with the camera, some things will still be just for them. 

Harry might be a famous pop star, and Louis might be a YouTuber, but when it’s just them, when the cameras are off, they are just Louis and Harry, and Louis never wants that to change.

He gives the camera a cheeky grin, knows his followers will go wild once this video hits the Internet. Knows that there’s a whole lot more attention going to come their way. But with Harry by his side he knows he’s ready to handle it.

“I hope you’ll enjoy this video. Don’t forget. Live fast, have fun, be a bit mischievous. Treat people with kindness. But most of all, Merry Christmas everyone!”

-fin-

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this fic, please give it a kudo or a comment or come talk to me about it on my [Tumblr](https://so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed.tumblr.com/).  
> Please also consider reblogging the [fic post](https://so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed.tumblr.com/post/636327601603018752/room-for-your-love-underneath-this-tree-larry), and reading the other works in this collection!


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